Second Term of Despair
by Ura Omote Author
Summary: A bunch of students enter the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy... but what lies in wait for them isn't success - it's a killing game! [SYOC CLOSED, SORRY!] [Rating may change]
1. Prologue

''They hid it?''

''They did.''

''Thought they could get it past me, huh?!''

''Yup! What stupid, hopeful _fools...!_ ''

''Now then, shall we crush it? Humanity's last rays of hope?''

''Let's do it. The **Second Term of Despair** is underwaaaaaayyy!''

* * *

This story starts with a letter. An invitation, to be exact. The letter was fresh, seeming as though it had never been touched, and the handwriting was impeccable. Such as you'd expect from an invitation to the most prestigious, highly achieving school in - in the whole world, perhaps. Hope's Peak Academy.

Only the elite could gain entry, as well as one lucky randomized student each year. To go was an honour. To go meant you'd have your whole life stable and secure.

Why would anyone turn it down?

This year, fifteen students had been sent these invitations. One of those was a girl called Shiko Asane. She was so shocked to receive an invite that she had taken several pictures of herself with it.

Looking back at the photographs, she examined her face, her dark skin, her frizzy black hair tied back in a ponytail.

The one known as the **Super High School Level Voice Actor.**

Putting down the camera, she paused for a minute to daydream about her future at Hope's Peak. What friends would she make? Any enemies? Maybe she'd get rich.

As she stepped into the school, she examined the hallways, all looking somewhat more colourful than she'd imagined. Several bulletins - advertisements for clubs, donations, the usual. Just as Shiko had noticed that there were more floors, a feeling of deep weariness set in.

The scenery began to meld together, all compressing towards the now blinding lights above her.

 _Ugh... my head..._

She just had time to sit down on a bench before passing out.

* * *

A/N: I know this was short, but it was only a prologue! And of course, I need 14 students to join me. If you're interested in submitting a character, PM me! The form is in my profile. Your character will probably die or get executed, but that's the fun of Dangan Ronpa! I'm also not very good at writing, mysteries especially, so co-writers would be appreciated. Your character may be rejected if they are a Mary Sue or if they're too similar to a canon character!


	2. Welcome To Hope's Peak, Puhuhuhu Part 1

A/N: This is just a little something for everyone who's been waiting for this to start. I'll introduce some of the characters that have been accepted, and once the other spots are filled, I'll finish this off. Sorry, but this is basically an 'Introductions' chapter! I hope I was able to represent your characters faithfully.

* * *

When Shiko came to again, she was in a completely different room.

It gave her a very odd feeling. Looking around in astonishment, the first thing she noticed was that the wallpaper was a dull grey, with a leopardskin pattern to contrast just how boring and dark the room was. Shiko reasoned that this must be a classroom after looking at some scribbles on the board. Putting her glasses on to read them, she discovered it said 'GO TO CLASSROOM 4-C!', alongside drawings of some kind of bear-thing.

''What the hell...?'' she whispered to herself, going up to the windows - or what she assumed to be windows. It was hard to tell since they were covered up and then fixed with a round of nails. Shakily, she decided she might as well check out Classroom 4-C. Maybe this was some kind of welcome prank?

It was easy to tell where the designated classroom was. There was a lot of noise coming from only one room, and Shiko let out a low sigh of relief as a bunch of others came into view. This room seemed to be covered in paint splats of multiple different colours, bright enough to give anyone a headache.

''E-e-excuse me... someone else is at the door...'' a young girl said, voice almost a whisper. Her flower hairclip was the first thing that caught Shiko's eye, but she wasn't well enough versed in flower lore to be certain what kind it was. She was quite slim and had her brown hair in a braid. The others turned to look.

''Hi...'' one boy came forward shyly, and it occurred to Shiko that she hadn't imagined someone with a bright blue hair streak to seem so timid. His black eyes didn't quite meet hers. ''Are you our classmate? Do you know what's happening?''

''No, I-'' she didn't quite know what to say, moving backwards slightly until she felt the wetness of the wall. She wondered if her back was now dyed in every hue under the sun.

''Hey, everybo-dy!'' a pale girl with blonde plaits and sweet green eyes interrupted. ''Don't worry! We should all just get to know each other, since we're classmates now! I'm sure this is just a welcoming ceremony!'' She evidently didn't think that this was enough on its own, so she added, ''Yay!''

''I-I don't know what's happening, but...'' Shiko began laughing incredulously. ''I guess... I should start and stuff, since I just came in? My name's **Shiko Asane** , and I'm apparently the **SHSL Voice Actor**.''

''That's a bit of a mouthful.'' said another male. ''I'm **Nero Sasayaki** , the **SHSL Superhero**!'' If the first boy having bright blue hair was surprising, this guy was shocking. His entire hair was dyed a light blue. And he seemed to be wearing a belt with a lot of small paint cans attached.

''Nero Sasaya...?'' Shiko looked confused.

''Blame my parents' weird naming sense.''

''My turnnn!'' cheered the blonde. ''I'm **Chikuma Tsukahara**! **SHSL Plushie Collector!** Nice to meet you all!''

''Plushies? Really? Wow!'' said a female wearing various video game merchandise. Herhair colour that seemed to be a combination of black, red and blue. One eye was blue and the other was green. ''Anyhow! Hey, that rhymed... I'm **Shioko Nakasoto** , and I'm the **SHSL Online Gamer**! Seems we have similar names, Asane-san!''

''Yeah... I guess so.'' Shiko replied.

''Ah... they say... I'm the **SHSL Sweetheart**...'' the boy with the black eyes murmured, looking embarrassed. ''My name is **Kouhei Sakae**... I hope we can all be friends.''

''Who are those two?'' the voice actor gestured to the braid girl and another boy she hadn't noticed, also with black hair and blue tips. They seemed to be avoiding conversation to the best of their abilities.

''I guess they're our resident wallflowers,'' Chikuma said thoughtfully. ''But don't worry! They talked to me. I need to get along with everyone.''

''Yes, but... who are they? Their names and stuff?'' Shiko persisted.

''That girl, she's called **Kanade Minatsuki** , and she's the **SHSL Florist**.'' the plushie hoarder explained.

''I-I-I-It's an honour to meet you all,'' Kanade bowed in nervous greeting.

''And the boy is **Yuki Disuko**. He's the **SHSL Duelist**.''

''Duelist?! Like, as in, fighting?'' Shiko watched Yuki with a new air of wariness, and perhaps exclaimed this a bit too loud.

Yuki scowled and shook his head, mumbling something.

''What?''

He looked away. ''As in, card duelling. Of course.''

An awkward silence followed.

''Where are the others? ...I'm worried about them.'' Kouhei broke the aforementioned silence.

''Weren't you listening?'' Shioko smirked, waggling her index finger in his face. ''They went to look around the school. See if there were any teachers or anything. Where is this, anyway? I'm sure I went into a different looking school. Was there an earthquake lately?''

''What do earthquakes have to do with anything?'' asked Nero.

''You don't get it, so forget it.'' the gamer replied whimsically. Shiko suspected she was making a video game reference.

Kanade raised a hand quietly. ''Can I... say something, p-please?''

''Of course you can!'' gasped Chikuma.

Yuki made a quiet sound of disapproval.

''M-Maybe we should go find the others? In a d-deserted looking place like this... something m-might have happened... to them...'' Kanade proposed.

''Yeah... I think that's a good idea,'' nodded Kouhei.

So, the group set off to locate the other half of their class... and when they did, would they perhaps figure out the meaning of all this?


	3. Welcome to Hope's Peak, Puhuhuhu Part 2

A/N: With this, the OC submission is closed! Let's meet the rest of the characters... if I forgot anyone I am so sorry, it's so hard to keep track... Also, sorry this took so long. I was on holiday. orz

* * *

''Why is this place so colourful, anyway?''

It was the question on everyone's minds as the group made their way through the hall, checking into rooms as they went. The entire hallway emanated a soft orange glow, and the walls looked as though they had been inflated, like a bouncy castle. They weren't, though, as they found out when Yuki kicked one and it remained firmly in place.

Now that the initial euphoria of finding company had worn off, Shiko was beginning to question the entire thing once more. _Just what happened? Why did I faint all of a sudden? This doesn't look like Hope's Peak Academy should. The appearance is almost... gimmicky._

''Up ahead!'' Kouhei said sharply, jerking Shiko from her thoughts. Sure enough, a huge mass of colours and shapes was approaching, each separating into a person as it got closer.

Chikuma cheered upon seeing the other half of the group, launching herself into the crowd in a whizz of green and purple. ''Hey, you guys- aah!''

''B-be careful...'' Kanade murmured, scooping the girl up before she could hit the ground.

''I guess we have to do these shitty introductions all over again, since there's more people now?'' one girl stepped forward, brushing red hair out of her face to momentarily reveal a long, white scar running across the length of her face. ''Wonderful! As if I care. I'm **Shion Ghoriyami** , the **SHSL Doctor**. If you don't need treatment, stay the hell away from me.''

 _Rude_ , Shiko thought.

A tall male with black hair, a tan and pockmarked skin rolled his eyes. ''Yer a petty fool. If any of yeh care, I'm **Katsuhiro Remington** , but I go by **Blackjack** too. Don't give a damn which. **SHSL Gunslinger-** ''

'' _What_ did you call me?'' Shion interrupted, hands on hips.

''I called yeh a fool, since yeh _are_ a fool. Stupid wench.''

''Why you fuc-''

''Guys, guys, calm down.'' Nero said awkwardly, putting his hands out as a gesture of peace.

''Fighting will get us nowhere. Not that it matters to me what you do.'' The voice came from a male in a swamp green jacket, also with black hair, though his was messier than Blackjack's.

''Who're you then?'' Shioko asked, bouncing right up in his face and making the victory sign with her fingers.

'' **Ryuka Yanagiya** , **SHSL Chess Player**. I never lose.'' he replied. ''And don't do that.'' He proceeded to prise Shioko away from him.

''Looks like the party is started in here, am I right?'' a cool, low voice came from the corner of the room, where an olive-skinned, busty female with her dark hair in a bun was drinking champagne.

''How did you even sneak champagne in here?'' Yuki said, more to himself than anyone else.

She looked up, blinking. ''I'm the **SHSL Bartender** , **Inshu Shanpan**. It figures they'd make an exception for me. Anyone want some?''

''I wanna try!'' Chikuma giggled.

''We're... mostly underage, right?'' Kouhei looked concerned, but cracked a smile for the first time.

''Hey, hey, people, wait for me!'' cried a small girl with eyes resembling the colour of a jack-o-lantern, and her hair fashioned into exquisite pigtails. ''I'm **Moriko Tsukishima** , and I am... **SHSL Interior Designer**! Nice to meet you all. I hope we don't get stuck in here forever, haha.''

''P-P-Please don't s-say that...'' Kanade whispered, a little antsy.

''Don't worry, Kana!'' Chikuma smiled up at her.

''...Kana?''

''We're all calling you Kana from now on!'' Nero clapped his hands. ''It's nice.''

''Why'd I have to be _nice_?'' Shion scowled at her feet, and also at Blackjack.

''I'm for it.'' Kouhei nodded.

Shioko pouted. ''Can we save interaction until we've talked to all the other NPCs?''

''What even is an NPC?'' another voice said, this one belonging to a girl wearing a lab coat. She had black-and-red hair that stuck up almost horizontally. ''Anyway, let's get this done with. I'm **Nanoko Asada** , **SHSL Scientist**. Not happy to be here.''

''Me neither,'' agreed Yuki.

''A drink will solve your troubles. It's a promise,'' Inshu handed Nanoko the now half-filled champagne bottle.

''Urrr... No thank you.''

''AAAAAH! Someone's dead!'' Chikuma shrieked, (looking more than a little bit drunk) pointing at a mass of blonde hair on the floor and the unconscious person it was attached to.

''What?! Let me see!'' Shion pushed Chikuma out of the way to get a look at the 'deceased'. ''She still has a pulse, dimwit. She's just fainted.''

''Cor, she was awake half an hour ago.'' commented a tall, authorative-looking male with silver eyes and a cowboy-like getup. ''Apparently that's **Sekai Kirinonai** , **SHSL Inspector**. Though I doubt it, with her constitution. And I'm **Mavis Attila** , **SHSL Police Officer** , and before you ask I am Japanese.''

''I see...'' Shiko was beginning to feel very overwhelmed with all these introductions.

''Who gave the loli the champagne?'' Nanoko raised an eyebrow. ''Was it that one with the big boobs?''

''What, you mean me?'' Inshu laughed. ''Well, of course you do. And no, it wasn't me.''

''It totally wasn't me!'' Moriko announced.

''She's lying.'' Mavis and Kouhei breathed at the same time, and then looked at each other in surprise.

A brown-haired, muscular guy with ice blue eyes made a 'tch' sound. ''Is it just me? Has everyone else introduced themselves already? Fine then. I'm **Ryota Kawamura** , **SHSL Knife Thrower**.''

''All these shady characters... I don't like it one bit.'' Ryuka murmured, looking around at everyone like they were piles of trash.

''Yeh're pretty shady too. Actin' all high-and-mighty.'' Blackjack seemed to take an instant dislike to the chess player.

More time passed as people buzzed around the room, reintroducing themselves and confirming the other's identities. It was easy to get mixed up. The class was just about to continue their search when an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

* * *

 _* Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong *_

 _Hello, and congra-tu-lations on getting into Hope's Peak Academy, Class Z0! I hope you'll have a wonderful time here, puhuhuhu! Please head on over to the gymnasium, right now! I'll be waiiiiiting!_

* * *

''What was that?'' asked Mavis.

''Obviously, it's a welcoming ceremony, or assembly.'' Ryota smirked.

''Obviously,'' echoed Ryuka.

''But where's the gymnasium?'' asked Nero.

''I ...know where it is... I came across it earlier.''

Everyone turned to see that Sekai had regained consciousness and was now getting to her feet.

''Welcome back to the land of the living,'' Shioko chuckled, and the newly formed 'Class Z0', as the announcement had labelled the class, let their resident inspector lead the way.


	4. Trust No One

A/N: Are you guys shipping yet? Cause I am. Maybe that's just cause I've seen all the forms, and who has similar backstories. Anyhow, we're done with all the introductions, and now it's time for Monokuma to make its appearance, and the despair to set in...

* * *

The group came to a halt in front of a large, metal door.

''In here... I think.'' Sekai informed them, gesturing towards the door. Everyone stood rigid for a few seconds, not sure what they would find inside. Waiting for someone else to do it.

''Oh, for goodness' sake,'' Ryota sighed deeply, as though he had just had the biggest burden of the century placed upon his shoulders, and took the plunge.

The interior of the gymnasium was surprisingly old-looking, and sickly green wallpaper was peeling off the walls. Whoever put it up didn't do a very thorough job, Moriko thought, cringing as she spotted some mildew in a corner. What's more, bits of wood were sticking up from the floor, threatening to pierce the skin of anyone who made the fatal mistake of stepping on one. The only objects in the room were a screen (currently showing nothing but static) and an extremely out-of-place yellow desk with a black-and-white bear pattern embellished on the front.

''This place is gross,'' uttered Nanoko. There were nods of agreement all around, except for Shion, who yelled ''Quit bein' pussies!''

''Testing, testing. Can everybody hear me?'' A cheerful, sing-song voice resonated around the room, annoying the more bad-tempered members of the class.

''Who was that?'' Shiko looked around for the speaker.

''IT WAS ME!''

With that everyone started whirling around in obvious befuddlement, searching for one of their peers who was surely just putting on a stupid voice. Unfortunately, oh so very unfortunately, that wasn't the case. If it HAD been the case, then what happened in the future needn't have occurred. The students would have lived out their lives in almost-harmony, and sometimes, cemented bonds of friendship, maybe even love.

All that came crashing down as a bear came crashing _up,_ breaking right through the exterior of the yellow desk, launching itself straight into the air, and eventually landing back into said desk, draped on a huge wooden splinter.

There was complete silence for a moment, as everyone's brains rushed to process the oddity they'd just witnessed. I mean, they'd seen a lot of odd things since they got there, but this black-and-white bear with one demonic red eye took the cake. Shiko recognised it as the one on the pattern desk (before it was just about destroyed) and in the scrawls on the blackboard in the classroom she'd woken up in.

Shion broke the silence with, ''The hell are _you_?''

''I am glad you asked!'' the bear bowed a little, but since it was lying down in such a precarious position, it could only sort of bend over sideways, and the gesture was lost. ''I... am MONOKUMA, and I'M YOUR HEADMASTER HERE! I will take fabulous care of you at Hope's Peak Academy, to be sure!''

There was more blank amazement as people began overcoming their shock.

''...Plushie?'' Chikuma breathed, sounding as if she were in heaven.

''No, no, no!'' Monokuma shook its head as much as possible. ''I am not a plushie, I am Monokuma!''

''Plushie.'' Chikuma echoed blankly.

''So... if you're not a plushie, and since you're obviously not a real bear, you must be a robot.'' Ryuka reasoned.

''Essentially... yes.'' the bear looked down at its feet, mimicking embarrassment. ''But no matter! I'm here to tell you some rules and everything, so you can all have a great communal life here!'' It added ' _of mutual killing_ ' under its breath. ''Because, I feel it's your right to know, none of you will be leaving this school from now on.''

''What?'' Kouhei's eyes widened. ''None of us... will be leaving?''

''That's right,'' Monokuma nodded. ''So get used to it here! I've done my best to make these into suitable living quarters for elites such as yourselves, but there was only so much I could do...''

''Stop joking around!'' Mavis called loudly, arms crossed, exerting his authority for once. ''If you're serious, this is essentially kidnap! I am a police officer, and I have affilations with others - they will find us, and arrest you!''

''You are... really relying on police? ...That's not really going to... help.'' Sekai murmured.

''Eh?''

''She's right. You can't rely on those damn coppers!'' Monokuma grinned, looking exceedingly pleased with itself. ''Also, I've taken away aaaaall your methods of communication! Phones, tablets, games with internet connection...''

''My phone is gone...'' commented Inshu uncertainly.

''Same here,'' rasped Ryuto.

''BASTARD!'' yelled Blackjack, who wasn't taking this so well.

''H-H-Hold on, Mr. Monokuma,'' Kanade stuttered. ''How d-do we know this is all true-? Eep! I'm sorry if I was o-out of line!''

''Well, wait a few days.'' Monokuma shrugged. ''See how long it takes to set in. _That you're not getting out_.''

Kanade flinched at the last sentence.

''Hm, you know... There is one way, though. Puhuhuhu~!''

''Huh?'' the class immediately ceased their panic and arguing.

''To get out.'' Monokuma explained.

''Do we have to get nine bracelet points?'' Shioko gasped. Everyone looked at her in confusion.

''What you have to do is...'' the bear's voice dropped to a low whisper. ''Kill someone. And get away with it. That's all you have to do. Anyone in here. Except for me, obviously, because that's violence against the headmaster, and will not go unpunished!''

The air tensed considerably.

''Y-You're... kidding, right? You are kidding?'' Nero asked, backing away.

''If you don't believe me, let me ask you this.'' Another smile was playing on Monokuma's lips now (if he even had them) as it anticipated the reception this next question would receive. Surely, it would be that sweet, vicious despair that both Monokuma and its master craved. ''Who do you think knocked you out?''

There it was, all over. That shocked, dawning look of realisation as the class realized what their 'headmaster' was capable of.

''Oh, that's wonderful! Be sure to show me that expression again. By the way, I have something to give you all.''

''What are these?''

''Those,'' he smirked, ''are your only electronic devices here in the school, except the elevator. Does that count? Anyway, they're the aptly named E-Handbooks, and it has all the information you'll need to know. And your own name comes up when you turn it on, so don't go getting them mixed up.''

Nobody was really paying attention. They were all too full of suspicion and doubt at the circumstances to care about some stupid E-Handbook. What even _was_ a Truth Bullet, anyway?

''Truth bullets are good for the class trial. When someone gets killed, we'll hold a class trial to find out who did it. If the blackened - the murderer - is found out, as decided by majority vote, they will face punishment.''

''Punishment?'' Nanoko frowned.

''The punishment is _execution_. If, however, the class decides someone other than the murderer should be punished, then everyone ELSE will face punishment!''

''Wha... what the hell?!'' Shioko leapt away into a corner.

''You've gotta be frikkin' kiddin me!'' Shion shouted.

''This plushie is horrible!'' Chikuma cried.

''If I get my hands on you, bear, I swear I'm gonna-'' Blackjack began, but was interrupted by a happy, bell-like noise ringing throughout the gymnasium. At the same time, the static onscreen ceased, and an image of Monokuma drinking some kind of exotic cocktail appeared. He was also sitting in a spinny chair for some reason.

* * *

 _*Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong*_

 _Hello, everyone, it is now 10 pm. As such, it is officially night-time. It is preferred that you return to your own designated dorm room, but if you want to go to someone else's I won't stop you - ohoho! Or if you want to stay up to murder someone, that's totally A-OK too._

* * *

''Night time? Figures. We can't see outside.'' Inshu bit her lip.

''I'm feeling claustrophobic already,'' Shiko admitted. ''I'm gonna go stir crazy here.''

''Then, my dear,'' Monokuma interjected. ''All you have to do is kill someone! Also, guys, I don't think you should band together on some 'trust' thing. You don't know who could be planning to betray you... If I were in your position, I'd trust no one.''

''WHAT THE HELL, MONOKUMA?!'' burst Chikuma, who seemed to have reached her breaking point already. ''HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?! IF YOU - OR ANYONE - DARES HURT ANYONE ELSE, I'M NOT GONNA STAND FOR IT!''

''Calm down!'' Nero exclaimed, giving her a cool-down hug.

''NO, I WON'T CALM DOWN!''

It was too late. Monokuma had already done it - already sowed the seeds of doubt and mistrust into their brains. Nobody could be entirely sure. Nobody knew anybody else - no long-term friendships to stick to. Nobody to trust except theirselves.

''Stop yelling... you're all giving me a migraine...'' complained Yuki, holding his head.

''I want to go home...'' Kouhei murmured nearly inaudibly.

That, at least, was one thing Class Z0 all agreed on.

And they were all terrified someone was going to act on that.


	5. Heightening Suspicions

A/N: Hey. I dunno if anything's gonna happen too soon, but I'm having lots of fun with this. ^^ So uhm. Bear with it.

...THAT PUN WAS UNINTENTIONAL, I SWEAR. Alright. Tunes on, and let me get typing.

That night had been a sleepless night for many.

Not very surprisingly, nobody had wanted to settle down just in case. The doors were locked, but in the minds of the students, they'd spring open at the slightest touch. It felt as though Shiko had never even closed her eyes when Monokuma's morning announcement filled up the screen of the TV in her room. It'd been 'kind' enough to inform them that in each of their cupboards, there were either sewing kits or toolkits, depending on the person's gender. It also mentioned that the girls' bathrooms had locks, and that the water shut off at night. Needless to say, most didn't find this very relevant information.

 _If it weren't for the fact that I'm starving_ , Shiko thought as she checked the rooms for people or perhaps a fridge, _I wouldn't be out of bed_. It didn't take too long to find what she was looking for - the dining hall seemed just the ticket.

''Hey,'' greeted Moriko as she walked in. Kouhei, Shion, Ryota and Shioko were also there.

''Do you reckon the food's poisoned? I need another opinion,'' Shion said, holding a bacon rasher at arm's length.

Shiko didn't know how to reply to that. ''Where are the others?''

''Still in bed, or went to investigate more. There might be a way out yet,'' Shioko replied, trying to get some crisp crumbs out of her long sleeves.

Ryota murmured, ''Dammit, why is this happening?'' Frustrated, he produced a knife and threw it at the wall, almost piercing Kouhei in the forehead in the process.

''OH MY GOD!'' declared Moriko, clasping her hands over her mouth. ''Are you trying to kill someone ALREADY?! And in front of everyone, too! What are you thinking?''

Kouhei just blinked in astonishment.

''It was an accident!'' was Ryota's defense, though it wasn't exactly convincing in Shiko's opinion. ''I was aiming for the wall, not him.''

''I think we'd better take those knives off you,'' Moriko glared at him suspiciously. ''Does anyone have any objections, or do you want the knife-throwing guy to be armed in a killing game?''

Nobody did (except Ryota).

''Right, that settles it. We're throwing these into the garbage. Where they will be incinerated.'' Shion decided by herself.

''That's... actually not a half bad idea! Let's do it.'' Shioko agreed.

And so off the group went.

''I, uh... I'll just go find the others.'' Shiko murmured, but nobody heard.

In the next fifteen minutes, she had discovered the existence of the bathrooms, an AV room, (re)discovered the dorm rooms, each of which had a nameplate and a drawing of its owner, and was just about to enter the infirmary when she saw some familiar faces from across the corridor. Chikuma was being carried around by a tired-looking Kanade, and not far behind them were Inshu and Ryuka, the former preparing to catch the girl should she fall.

''Hey,'' waved Inshu.

''Oh... are you feeling better, Chikuma?'' Shiko remembered the outburst from yesterday. How surprised she had been when the most innocent of the group had started shouting her head off!

''Yeah! I just got so, so angry when I thought about anyone getting hurt...''

 _Should I really be spending time with these possible murderers? A lot of people here seem mildly disturbed..._

''This is all so ridiculous.'' Ryuka scowled. ''Don't tell me you actually believe this? Stupid. Something like this would cause such a panic in the outside world.''

It hurt to have it referred to as 'the outside world'. Like they were already shut away, no life left within them, resigning to their fate already.

''Y-y-yes... We j-just have to wait, right?'' Kanade said, trying to stay on the bright side. Inshu didn't seem so sure, but she'd be damned if she interrupted to ruin their hope. The mood was ruined by the sight of Monokuma dragging Yuki, Nanoko and Nero out of their dorms, respectively.

Meanwhile, Yuki and Nanoko had already decided they would have no part in this ''community'' fiasco and had remained in the dorms, and Nero had simply slept through the announcement.

''Rise and shine, you bastards! I will not have students refusing communication!'' Monokuma declared as it forced the students out into the open.

''You don't have to be so rude about it,'' Nanoko breathed.

''Oh my,'' Sekai said quietly as she entered the hall, Mavis close behind. ''...This one had a... gun, so... I took that too.'' With that, she fainted.

''That's supposed to make us feel better?'' Yuki rolled his eyes.

''I doubt she'd hurt a fly,'' Mavis informed him. ''Also, the bullets are goddamn rubber!''

''You know, I think I've been missing something.'' the bear continued, ignoring the conversation going on. ''I think you all need a motive, right away! Can't waste time, it bores everybody.''

''Well, out with it. What?'' Ryuka narrowed his eyes.

''A _motive._ '' it replied gleefully, dancing around on the tiles. ''Fun, yes! Uhahaha, I'm getting all worked up just thinking about it!''

''Motive?'' Shiko asked wearily.

''Motive. Noun. 1. A reason for doing something. Eg: _The motive for the murder was a clear-cut case of greed-_ ''

''I don't need a definition!'' she snapped.

''Hm, yes, I think I'm going to gather everybody. The gymnasium is our usual spot, riiIIIiight? I'll send out an announcement, just in case!'' With that, the stupid bear they hated so much borderline _vanished_ before their eyes.

''Promise, no matter what you see, nobody will kill anyone?'' Chikuma said worriedly.

Everyone present promised. Whether anyone took it seriously remained to be seen.


	6. Something to Kill For

A/N: Hey! Sorry for the wait and stuff. Stuff happened. I have no idea where I'm going with this. Let's do it.

* * *

Once everyone was gathered in the gymnasium, Monokuma began to talk again.

''Puhuhuhu! Hello, hello everybody! I bet you're aaaalll wondering what I've got waiting for you.'' Monokuma sniggered, hopping around on the desk.

''Yes, we know. A motive, right?'' Ryuka clicked his teeth impatiently. He had no time for this.

''You sure don't beat around the bush, do ya? I know it's almost night-time, but...'' the bear frowned dejectedly, disappointed about being cut off in its prime. ''Well, since I'm not wanted, I might as well just disappear, and you'll never ever ever get to see what's on _these!_ '' With that, he brandished a huge batch of DVDs, sealed up in bubble wrap.

''N-No, wait! Please l-let us see them!'' Kanade interjected, bowing frantically.

''Yeah,'' Inshu agreed. ''I'm curious now, if nothing else.''

''Fine then. Temperamental lot you are. Take the DVD with YOUR name on it. Only that one, mind!''

They made a beeline for Monokuma, who seemed to be enjoying all the attention. ''Yeah, yeah, that's it! Go on off to the AV room if you want to watch 'em!'' Nobody needed telling twice, and they all set off.

* * *

''What... is this?''

Shiko stared at her computer screen, as did countless others, in a state of shock. She was more confused than anything; why were they doing this? Had the others received the same video? Surely not. The entire thing filled her with a feeling of dread.

Everyone else was too caught up in their own emotions to take notice of the people around them.

''What did they do to them?! What have they done... my little sister...'' Yuki was talking mainly to himself, glaring daggers at the screen as if it were all the computer's fault.

''T-t-this isn't f-fair... they didn't d-do anything wrong,'' Kanade stuttered.

''WHAT THE HELL- WHO- HOW?'' Blackjack was gesticulating so wildly he nearly slapped Moriko in the face, but the latter barely cared, as she too was focusing on what she'd just seen.

''I need to get out of here...'' Kouhei repeated to himself under his breath.

''Wha...'' Shioko was struck dumb.

''That's sick! I won't stand for it!'' declared Nero.

''WAAAAhhh... WAAAh.'' Chikuma burst into tears and was rocked by a stricken-looking Inshu.

''I'm getting the fuck OUT of here,'' Shion announced, and many decided it was a good idea to follow.

With heavy hearts, overflowing with worry for their loved ones, everyone split up into groups or went solo. Partly because time alone was required, and partly because that doubt was returning; that doubt that someone might just give in to despair and kill.

In the dining room, Yuki and Nanoko were distracting themselves by playing a game with yu-gi-oh cards.

''I... I can't believe they...'' Yuki whispered.

''Me neither. It's unforgiveable.'' agreed Nanoko dully. She let out a long sigh.

Also in the dining room, but sitting a few tables away, were Chikuma, Inshu and Kanade, eating some beef burgers, because they liked them.

''The food is... nice.'' Chikuma murmured. A chorus of 'yeahs' went around the group. Nobody was really into it.

Mavis was sitting alone (or so he thought) in the infirmary, but Sekai was lying outside the door. Fainted. Again.

The others were dotted around the place, but the gloomy cloud of concern enveloped them all.

 _*Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong*_

 _Hello, everyone, it is now 10 pm. As such, it is officially night-time. It is preferred that you return to your designated dorm room, but if you want to go to someone else's I won't stop you - ohoho! Or if you want to stay up to murder someone, that's totally A-OK too._

 _*Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong*_

 _Good morning, everyone, it is now 7 am. Get ready to greet another bee-yautiful day!_

Many had headed to the dining hall for breakfast. In fact, almost everyone was there.

''Trust those misanthropes not to show up,'' pouted Shioko.

''I'm sure they'll come soon enough!'' Chikuma said as brightly as possible. The same gloomy cloud as yesterday hadn't lifted very much.

''They damn better or I'm goin-'' Blackjack was interrupted by yet another of Monokuma's recordings sounding.

 _*Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong*_

''ANOTHER one? GOD I hate that thing's voice.'' Moriko made a horrible scowl.

 _A body has been discovered! Investigation Time will now begin. After a short period, we'll hold a Class Trial._

Dead silence, once again.

Heh.

In that moment, all out chaos spread like wildfire as questions flew.

''What?!''

''He was joking, right? Right?!''

''So that's-''

''Well, where is this 'body'?''

''Come on, we gotta find it!''

Kouhei rushed into the dining hall, breathing heavily. ''I-I-I-''

''SPIT IT OUT, DAMMIT!'' Shion grabbed him by the collar.

''It's true!'' he wheezed. ''Body - in the - AV room - she's dead-''

''Who's dead? Who's dead?'' Nero asked, but nobody answered. They all rushed to the AV Room, where the voices of Nanoko, Ryuto and Kanade could be heard in panicking tones.

''Let's just have a look before jumping to conclu-'' Inshu said shakily, but stopped dead once she opened the door.

Shiko was slumped in the corner, sitting in a pool of blood, more blood dripping out of a large wound in her stomach. Her glasses were on the floor next to her, a little cracked.

There was no weapon in sight.


	7. The Investigation

A/N: I'm really pleased to be saying this. We have some fanart! Check out Second Term Semester by Little-Shy-Joker on Deviantart. Thanks a lot :D. uh... there are descriptions of blood and stuff in this chapter. So if you're like Toko, stay away.

* * *

''Whoever did it, confess now.''

Ryuka folded his arms and looked at the others scathingly.

''Nobody's gonna confess, dumbass.'' Moriko rolled her eyes. ''Whoever did this, did it because they want to get out. Why would they give up their chance of escaping? I wouldn't.''

''H-How can you be so calm...?'' Kanade murmured, trembling. ''S-S-Someone here i-is a murderer! They just killed o-one of our friends!''

''It's so horrible...'' Inshu nodded, looking around for some more alcohol, but there obviously wasn't any.

''Well, well, weeeeell!'' a familiar voice called, and once again Monokuma had appeared.

''What d'you want?'' Blackjack snarled.

''I have another little something for you! It's... THE MONOKUMA FILE!'' It gave out the said files, each with _Monokuma File #1_ written on them. ''In here is alllll the details - sorta - of the murder! You'll need to know this stuff if you want to survive, after all.''

Nanoko opened the file and read out its contents.

'' **Victim: Shiko Asane  
** **Estimated time of death: 12 am  
Location: AV Room  
Cause of death: Deep stab wound from the shoulders to the lower back. There is also a large abdominal wound.**''

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: 12 am]

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: AV Room]

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: Autopsy]

''Well, I'll be off! Have fun! I know I will!'' Without another word, Monokuma disappeared.

''Go away.'' Mavis called after him.

''Hey... maybe this was an accident? W-We don't know that someone... actually...'' Nero trailed off hesitantly.

''Yes, sure. A _deep stab wound from the shoulders to the lower back_ is CLEARLY an accident.'' Ryota laughed, but it was a laugh without any real humour.

''We should begin... investigating.'' Sekai continued.

''Heartless.'' Moriko commented.

Sekai flushed. ''No, I... I see bodies a lot in my line of work... so I'm not... heartless, I'm just used... to it...''

''Yeah, whatever.''

Chikuma was crying, but everyone was feeling too shocked themselves to do anything about it.

''Awful... This is awful.'' Shioko said through gritted teeth. ''I can't believe this.''

Kouhei couldn't deal with it and ran off to the bathroom.

''...Sekai is right.'' said Inshu. ''No matter how we feel about this... If we don't solve the case, we'll all die too.''

Pressure returned, crushing as ever.

''H-H-Hey, um.'' Kanade spoke up. ''I-I know you've already worked this out, but... the w-weapon is missing. S-Should we start by finding that?''

''No thanks. Let's start with what we know. I'm not wasting the investigation period looking for a weapon.'' Ryuka replied.

''Something's odd...'' Sekai continued, getting into her element now. ''...About the position of the glasses, that is.''

''What?'' asked Inshu.

''Well... how come they're beside her, close to... the wall? Did she use her final moments taking them off? It's odd. Or did the killer put them there? If so, why?''

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: Shiko's Glasses]

''Hey, guys.'' Ryota began, hesitantly drawing closer to the body. ''Apparently she died from a shoulder wound... Sounds a bit weird. Should we take a look?''

''Euugh... I don't want to see this.'' Chikuma turned away as Ryota prised Shiko's corpse away from the wall. Just as the Monokuma File said, there was a rather obvious flesh wound deep into her skin, all the way from the shoulders to her lower back. It looked as though it had been punctured with something small, but sharp, and the killer had just kept digging in. Random and erratic paths through arteries suggested a struggle.

''What's more, this blood is dried. The blood on her stomach... is fresher. Recent.''

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: Difference in the Blood]

''That hurts to look at.'' Nero winced.

''What the hell is this?'' Mavis said, voicing what everyone was thinking.

''Did they really need to... stab her in the front too?'' Sekai frowned.

''Uuuugh, e-enough...'' retched Kanade.

''Yeah, shut the fuck up!'' cheered Shion.

Moriko made a small surprised voice. ''Hey guys, Shiko's DVD is still in this player! The screen's a bit cracked. Let's turn it on-''

''Uh-uh!'' Monokuma once again popped up, snatching the DVD. ''Sorry, but I can't let you look at that!''

''Why not?!'' Shioko folded her arms.

''The killer made a very reckless gamble,'' the bear responded. ''That's all I'm saying! Bye-bye!''

''...No hint coins for us...'' the gamer seemed dejected.

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: The Killer's Gamble]

''W-W-While we're on the s-subject of those videos...'' Kanade began. ''Was it people y-you care about being hurt for you guys too?''

Yuki nodded yes.

''There was s-something very odd about mine.''

''Oh yeah? What?'' Blackjack asked.

''Well... I-I didn't recognise the people in it.'' she continued. ''T-There was a blown up grave, and a g-girl in a coma, but... I don't know who they were.''

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: Kanade's Account]

''Something similar happened to me,'' Ryuka murmured thoughtfully. ''I didn't recognise the man in my DVD either.''

[TRUTH BULLET ADDED: Ryuka's Account]

A disgusted-looking Kouhei returned to the group, still not looking entirely functional.

''I found the weapon.'' was all he said.

''Recently you're finding everything, aren't you?'' Moriko sneered. ''The body, the weapon... Maybe it was you, Kouhei Sakae.''

''No! It wasn't!'' Kouhei shook his head frantically.

''What was the weapon?'' Nanoko asked him.

''This,'' he said, holding out a bloodstained knife. Ryota's eyes widened.

''Look familiar?'' Mavis asked. ''Of course it does, it's your bloody knife!''

Bloody in both the literal and the swear word sense.

''It was in the toilet.'' Kouhei elaborated.

''In the _toilet._ '' Shion repeated incredulously.

''The killer just... chucked the murder weapon down the pan?'' Nero asked.

''It seems so.'' Sekai said completely seriously.

''WHY?'' Chikuma wept, although whether she was talking about the knife's location or the fact the murder had even happened was unknown.

''Why did you kill her?'' Shioko's voice wavered.

''Hasn't it occurred to your dumb minds that someone's trying to frame me?!'' exclaimed an indignant Ryota.

''Maybe! But the fact remains; that knife's yours, and it killed her!'' Moriko scowled.

''Didn't we throw those away?'' Shion asked.

 _*Ding, Dong, Ding, Dong*_

 _It's time for the class trial! Please meet up in the gymnasium._

''What?! But I don't understand anything! Uwaaaahh...'' Chikuma cried more.

''Stop being a baby. We all have to go through with this. You're not special.'' Ryuka said coldly.

With the knowledge that they could not all leave that place alive, they headed to the class trial.


	8. A Deadly Class Trial Part 1

A/N: ermagherd this is what we've all been waiting for probably and I'm going to heck this up like a lot htub omG iM SO EXCIT RED! Okay. I'm going back to being semi-literate now. Anyway I'm gonna try to use a shitton of formatting here so yeah. Hope you can keep up. Gosh, I had to edit this so much.

* * *

There was a ring in the center of the gym, a ring of tables, or perhaps stands - like what you would get in a court. It seemed that even Shiko had to join in, as a grey portrait of her (with a pink X through it, might I add) was positioned on one of the stands. Moriko found it tasteless.

''Take your seats, take your seats!''

And they would have, had their been any chairs. In nonsensical order, they stood. Nanoko, Shion, Blackjack, Ryuka, Chikuma, Shioko, Yuki, Ryota, Kanade, Mavis, Shiko (or at least the portrait), Kouhei, Moriko, Sekai, Inshu, Nero.

''Hoorah! Let the trial of Shiko Asane's murder begin!'' declared Monokuma, waving around a wooden hammer. Annoyingly, he alone was sitting, on a cushy throne no less.

''You say that, but we don't actually know where to start.'' Kouhei said sadly.

''In that case, we should start with the murder weapon. Good a place as any.'' Mavis suggested.

 **Truth Bullets:**

 **12 am**

 **AV Room**

 **Autopsy**

 **Shiko's Glasses**

 **Difference in the Blood**

 **The Killer's Gamble**

 **Kanade's Account**

 **Ryuka's Account**

* * *

Nonstop Debate Start!

Break points are in italics, consent points are in both bold and italics.

Mavis: The murder weapon... yeah, it was clearly _Ryota's knife._

Ryota: Are you saying it was me again?

Moriko: Nobody said that.

Inshu: Even if it wasn't Ryota, it had to be a guy.

Nero: How come?

Inshu: Because the knife was found in the guy's bathroom.

Chikuma: But a girl could have put it there, right?

Inshu: ...Back to square one with me then.

Kanade: B-But... M-M-Maybe... _The knife is a r-red herring, and the weapon is something e-else_?

Ryota: No... You're wrong!

 **Ryota fired [** **Autopsy]**

* * *

''Huh?'' Kanade looked surprised, as though expecting a telling off.

''I've seen that stomach wound before.'' Ryota gritted his teeth.

''Was it when you killed her?'' Moriko butted in.

''No, it was not!'' he replied angrily. ''I'll have you know it was an accident.''

''So you DID kill someone?!'' Chikuma gasped, afraid.

''No, no! It was an animal, and it was an accident! Anyway, that's besides the point, the wound from then looks about the same diameter as this. And if they used the knife on her stomach, they probably used it on her shoulders too.''

''Next... may we discuss the DVD?'' Sekai asked.

* * *

Nonstop Debate Start!  


Kanade: W-Why wouldn't Monokuma let us look at it?

Chikuma: Maybe he was just _**being mean!**_

Nanoko: Maybe it was _**blank**_.

Yuki: Maybe it pertains to the _**killer's identity**_...

Inshu: That must be it!

 **Inshu fired [The Killer's Gamble]**

* * *

''Monokuma said that it was the killer's gamble, after all... anyway, there'd be no reason for it not to let us look at it if it was just Shiko's stuff.'' Inshu told them.

''That makes sense... I guess.'' Chikuma pondered.

''Speaking of which, my DVD contained a man I didn't know. He was training with knives, and then he just got... knocked out, bleeding on the floor.'' Ryuka said.

''That was some of your motives.'' Monokuma smirked. ''You didn't know what had happened to YOUR family, but you knew what might have.''

''With knives? That better not have been someone I know.'' Ryota murmured to himself.

''Oh, but it was!'' elaborated Monokuma. ''It was your father.''

''SON OF A BITCH!''

''I-It happened to me too!'' Kanade said. ''A-All I got was a blown up grave and a comatose woman.''

''Doesn't that sound like our dear Sakae-san's sister?'' the bear practically sang.

The boy in question bristled. ''Don't say that!''

''So, did you switch some people's DVDs around?'' asked Nanoko.

''Yep.'' was the simple reply. ''I created an opportunity for two people to meet in private to swap the DVDs. That's all.''

''I think we can gather that's what happened to Shiko. Otherwise, why would she be watching ''her'' video by herself?'' Moriko bit her lip.

''Makes sense.'' Shioko nodded.

''So she was invited there by the killer?'' Blackjack enquired.

''Seems like it.'' Mavis shrugged.

''The cracks on the screen suggest this, too,'' Ryuka agreed. ''They match up with the cracks on the glasses. I suppose they were sent into the screen by some strong force.''

''So if they went there to swap DVDs... there must have been the killer's family resemblance in Shiko's video!'' Shion declared grandly. ''I figured it out, ladies and gents.''

''I think I already have an inkling of the culprit, but... I think we've skipped right over an important point.'' Sekai continued.

''What?! What is it?'' Nanoko looked astonished.

The inspector smirked. ''If you'll recall... what Ryuka said a few seconds ago.''

 **Select an answer:**

 **Cracks on the screen**

 **Cracks on the glasses**

 **Some strong force**

 **Who cares, Ryuka's hair is fabulous**

''Some strong force sent her glasses flyin' into the screen, right? Would that be the stab?'' Blackjack asked.

''Gotta be, hasn't it?'' Mavis shrugged. ''Wait, hold on a-''

''But... didn't she get stabbed on the floor? And died of the stomach stab?'' Chikuma frowned.

''No...'' said Nero.

 **Nero fired [Differences in the Blood]**

''The blood from the stomach was way fresher than the back wound. With the back stabs, she'd probably have died of internal bleeding before the stomach stab could be made... and the dried blood suggests the killer probably came back a few hours later to get her in the stomach. In other words, she was already dead when the stomach stab was made.'' he explained.

''And that helps us how?'' Moriko tapped her foot impatiently.

''Think about it.'' a grin crept up his face, evidently proud of himself. ''The killer couldn't stab her in the shoulders while facing her... it means that they moved her body, and the glasses too. They had to hide the position she was in when she died. That's pretty good info, don't you think?''

''The position... what position would that be?'' Kanade asked herself.

There was a somewhat educated silence for a second.

''...That's what she said?'' offered Kouhei.

''Kouhei, kill yourself.'' Shion replied cheerfully.

Sekai coughed a little to get the trial back on track. ''The position they wanted to hide was that Shiko was _sitting down when she died!_ ''

''But the blood on the chair-'' Chikuma began.

''TISSUES. There are tissues in the bathroom, are there not?''

''Indeed there are!'' affirmed Monokuma.

''We can't be sure of the fact she was sitting down.'' Nanoko murmured.

''No, we can.'' Ryota said. ''Consider this: If you look at the picture of the corpse from the Monokuma File, you'll see that she wasn't stabbed directly in the back, but in the shoulders, and the killer eventually dug down into her back. Why would you do that, unless...''

''Unless a chair was in the way of her back!'' Inshu gasped.

''But why would they want to hide the fact she was sitting down?'' was Yuki's input.

''It links back to the DVDs! I get it! They wanted to hide the fact that the two were watching videos with the other's name on them, because it would give away their identity. I guess they left Shiko's in as a gamble we wouldn't watch it, and figure she had just returned to watch her DVD again.'' Moriko grinned.

''Tick, tock,'' said Monokuma.

''Agh! We're running out of time, and we still have no clue who did it!'' Inshu was starting to lose her cool now

''No, we do. There's a link between everyone whose DVDs were swapped. I had thought it was obvious,'' Sekai had started to talk more rapidly now, she was completely at home solving this mystery.

''You figured it out too, huh?'' Mavis remarked.

 _The link between everyone whose DVDs were swapped... It has to be-_

 **Select an answer:**

 **They all had the same hair colour**

 **They like the same kind of movies**

 **They were all horrible people**

 **They had similar names**

''Got it. They had similar names, right? Ryota and Ryuka, Kouhei and Kanade.'' Yuki answered. ''So that means... someone who had a similar name to Shiko... that would be Shioko or Shion.''

''ARE YOU FUCKIN' ACCUSING ME?'' Shion blazed.

''Well, it wasn't me!'' Shioko folded her arms.

''That also makes sense, seeing as you both were there when Ryota's knives were disposed of... and one of you wanted to frame Ryota, which is why you used his knife, and threw it in the boys' toilets.'' reasoned Kouhei.

''But how could we? The others would have seen us sneaking the knife away.'' said Shioko.

''It probably wouldn't have been too hard to fall to the back of the group.'' Blackjack said.

''Bullshit! It wasn't me!'' Shion yelled.

''It wasn't me either!'' Shioko yelled back, long sleeves flapping.

Long sleeves flapping.

''Tell me, Nakasoto-san...'' Sekai began. ''How skilled are you at... _sleight of hand_?''

''I-I'm the SHSL Online Gamer.''

''You stuck the knife up your sleeve, didn't you?'' Nero said darkly.

''No! I-''

''If you didn't, then roll up your sleeve and show us. There's probably a cut there if you quickly thrust it next to your arm.'' said Ryuka.

''I...'' Shioko snarled for a second, and then the screaming started.

''I DIDN'T DO IT! YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO FRAME ME! I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T! I DIDN'T! I DID NOT EVER NEVER EVER KILL ANYBODY AT ALL, NO NO NO NO!''

''She's not gonna listen to reason.'' Mavis rolled his eyes.

''Let me try.'' Ryuka said calmly.

''YOU'RE ALL TALKING A LOAD OF CRAP! A LOAD OF CRAP! I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T, DID NOT! DID NOT! IT WAS A COINCIDENCE! I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER KOUHEI SAYING HE HAD KANADE'S VIDEO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT!''

''That's because he was in the bathroom.''

''STILL DOESN'T PROVE ANYTHING! NOTHING! NOTHING! I DIDN'T KILL HER! DIDN'T, DIDN'T, I CAN'T HEAR YOU, LALALALALA-''

''Do you want all of us to die for what you did wrong?''

''DIDN'T DO IT, WOULDN'T DO IT, EVER, NEVER, NEVER-''

''STOP IT!'' Chikuma shrieked, perhaps even louder than Shioko's ever-increasing volume, and simply yanked up both her sleeves, taking her by surprise.

On her left arm, there was two shallow cuts.


	9. A Deadly Class Trial Part 2

A/N: aaah guys you're the best. I was worried about that trial but it seems it turned out okay, so. Let's have a jolly old execution, which is what you twisted readers were hoping for, weren't you? xD

* * *

''You...'' Chikuma gritted her teeth, unable to look Shioko in the eye.

''Uh... I just- I didn't-''

''Give it up. It's over.'' said Ryota. ''Shall we go over the events one more time to make sure?''

{We were all contacted by Monokuma, who gave us the DVDs. What we didn't know was that Monokuma had switched around the DVDs of people who had similar names, giving them an opportunity to be alone together to return them to their rightful owner. Shioko took Shiko to the AV Room, telling her she had her video. While Shiko was watching hers, Shioko stabbed her in the shoulders with a knife she had taken from Ryota earlier, leading to Shiko's death from internal bleeding. Shiko's glasses flew off in the process, causing damage to the computer screen. Shioko used tissues to clean up the blood on the chair and dragged the body into the corner, and put the glasses beside them to obfuscate the fact that they were watching videos together. She left ''Shiko's'' DVD in the player, thinking it would seem more odd if it _wasn't_ there. Hours later, before the morning announcement, she got up to make another stab, again trying to hide the original position of the body, and threw the knife down the toilet.}

Nobody seemed particularly happy that they had solved the mystery. They all knew that if Monokuma had been telling the truth, the next step was to vote for the killer, and after that, execution.

Execution. There was a kind of anticipating dread about the word. To spite themselves, everyone was curious, but it's not exactly like they wanted it to happen.

''Nooooow, if you'll all submit your votes on the panels in front of you...'' Monokuma fanned itself with its paw and yawned as if the entire thing was a huge bother.

* * *

 _Guilty:_

 _Shi_ _oko Nakasoto_

* * *

''Well done, well done!'' cheered the bear. ''You all got it right! But, y'know, before the punishment, I figure I'll let our blackened have a few last words. So don't mind me, take it away.''

''W-Why? Why did you kill her?!'' was the first thing out of Chikuma's mouth. ''What gave you the right to end someone's life?!''

''You don't get it, do you?'' Shioko looked anywhere but at her classmates. ''I took the knife not knowing whether to use it, but... I knew what had happened to Shiko's family. Who could say the same hadn't happened to mine?! What if they were dead?! WHAT IF THEY WERE STILL ALIVE, AND I HAD TO SAVE THEM?'' her voice grew louder with every word until she was shouting, trying to defend herself, but it was no use. To Class Z0, she was a traitor and a murderer. A classmate, yes; but not for long.

''What kind of excuse is that? Don't make me laugh.'' Ryuka scowled. ''Like I said, everyone's going through this. It's not just you. But nobody else has completely gone nuts and murdered someone!''

''I'm not like you guys. I'm not prepared to live out the rest of my life in this hellhole, just waiting to die. Only speculating if the people I love are still alive. Being entertainment for a sadistic AI. I had the opportunity, so I took it. Simple as that.''

''It's not fair of you to say that...'' Kouhei murmured sadly.

''Alright, everyone shut up!'' Monokuma interjected. ''I've prepared a very special execution for her, the SHSL Online Gamer! Let's give it everything we've got! IIIIIIIT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!''

''It's not my fault. It was that god-forsaken bear's fault. I don't deserve this.'' her expression suddenly changed, becoming worried, insecure. ''I don't, do I? If it... if it wasn't for that thing... she'd still be alive... it's not my fault. You guys are just as bad as me, this is practically murder yourselves.'' Monokuma had her by the collar now, dragging her along, though Shioko resisted.

''We don't have a choice.'' Nero clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.

''Enough chit-chat, I said! You're coming with me!''

* * *

 _Shioko Nakasoto has been found guilty. Commencing execution..._

Shioko was tied to a chair in a small, enclosed room, walls and ceiling black. In front of her was a computer, and a mouse and keyboard just out of reach.

''What the hell is this?'' she cried. ''How is this-?''

''Ah, you see,'' Monokuma said, starting up the computer. ''This is how your execution is going to work, so listen up.'' On the screen was one of Shioko's favourite MMORPGs, a first-person shooter. In fact, she was fairly sure it was the first one she ever played. She instinctively reached for the mouse, but being tied up, she couldn't get to it.

''I've hacked into the game a bit and fooled around with the programming.''

As it said this, a smorgasbord of guns lunged forth from the ceiling, each positioned at different places on Shioko's body. None of them had gone off yet.

''The game, and the other players, now see you as an enemy and can attack you. In real life, this wouldn't have an effect on you, but... since I have these guns here, I can quite wonderfully replicate the sensations of being shot with the in-game weapons! How lovely is that?''

''Gh...'' Shioko flinched as some players came into sight and started shooting at her. As promised, the guns in real life went off, burning bullets through her calf and arm. ''AaaaAAAAAGH!'' she cried out in agony. No - she was the best online gamer out there. If she could just stretch to the keyboard, she could send them a message. Enemies couldn't do that. There was always the chance they wouldn't realise the stakes and shoot her as an act of trolling, but it was her only chance right now.

Annoyed that the green elephant slime monster they were seeing wasn't dead yet, Shioko's former comrades continued shooting, almost incapacitating her. She screamed, although they couldn't hear. The only ones that could hear were Monokuma, and those 'friends' of hers who had sentenced her to this death. _If I can just - a little further, and-_

[type your message here: ]

[type your message here: hdlp m ]

[type your message here: hdlp me in shi]

Another fired, and this one seared right through her hand. Blood was already seeping out of her many wounds, of varying sizes and magnitude. _The next bullet is sure to end me, though,_ she thought as her opponent aimed the next bullet dead center - straight through Shioko's heart.

She managed to find comfort in that.

[message sent: hldp me in shiojjko]

* * *

Nobody had anything to say. There was nothing that could be said to make anything better. What they had just witnessed was something nobody should ever have to go through. Even though she was a murderer, she was driven to it. Anyone else could have done the same. How many more people would have to undergo this fate?


End file.
